AUSTIN -- Forget pithy exchanges. Wednesday's debate between President Barack Obama and his Republican opponent Mitt Romney lingered on long, clashing approaches to the country's deficit, the fallout of health-care reform and how best to grow the economy.

Obama and Romney, the former governor of Massachusetts, squared off in their first debate Wednesday night in Denver.

Both men drove the nationally televised debate as the moderator struggled to maintain control. Oftentimes, the discussion veered into the minutiae of tax policy, the fallout from the Affordable Care Act, often called Obamacare, and regulations on banks.

"I thought in the beginning it bogged down a little bit," said UTEP political science Professor Kathleen Staudt. "There was almost too much detail and back and forth, and it was hard to figure out without fact-checkers nearby."

Staudt said she thought the format of Wednesday's debate allowed both men to dwell on few issues and left other topics untouched.

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"I was very distressed that there were no social issues that were brought out," Staudt said. "I, for one, am very concerned about women's health and women's equality, and there were no questions at all about any of that. I know it is an awkward subject for people to talk about, but there are clear differences between the two candidates."

The debate, which focused on domestic issues, did not touch on immigration reform, an important topic for El Paso and other cities with large Hispanic populations.

Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney and President Barack Obama during the presidential debate Wednesday, October 3, 2012 at the University of Denver. John Leyba, The Denver Post

El Paso County has a population of more than 820,000, according to estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau. Four of every five residents in the county are Hispanic.

Local representatives from both parties claimed victory after the debate.

"Governor Romney did a fantastic job of explaining to people that the country is in trouble and he was able to articulate why and the president was weak and unable to respond in an effective way," said Tom Holmsley, chairman of the Republican Party of El Paso County.

El Paso County Democratic Party Chairman Rick Melendrez said he believed that Wednesday's debate was a clear indication why the president should be re-elected.

He said that message would become clearer when Obama and Romney face off in other debates during the next few weeks.

"Definitely four more years," Melendrez said. "Romney wants to get rid of a lot of programs that our president has started but during the debate, he didn't come up with any solutions or with any answers to what he would do after getting rid of them."

Despite the partisan spin, one thing was clear from Wednesday's televised debate: The presidential election on Nov. 6 has not been settled. Recent polls had shown Obama leading Romney in several battleground states that are key to winning the election.

Gregory Rocha, a political science professor at the University of Texas at El Paso, said Romney outperformed Obama during their first face-to-face exchange.

Romney "wasn't nearly as awkward as he's been when he's been out there on the stump campaigning, and he was aggressive enough and ideologically consistent enough to get his message through in a way that he was better understood by the public than was the president, who was pretty much on the defensive," Rocha said.

Staudt thought Obama scored well during exchanges about health-care reform but added that Romney's performance helped him "impress people as a little more of a human being."

Rocha said the president must sharpen his message, become more aggressive and respond more forcefully to Rom ney in coming debates in order stand out more decisively.

"I think he let one get away here," Rocha said.

Zahira Torres may be reached at ztorres@elpasotimes.com; 512-479-6606.